DISPOSABLE PROTECTIVE EYEWEAR DEVICES FOR HEALTH-CARE PROVIDERS - HOWIMPORTANT ARE THEY AND WILL AVAILABLE DESIGNS BE USED

The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of five types o f disposable protective eyewear devices, to determine variables affect ing compliance with the use of protective eyewear, and to determine th e frequency of subclinical eye splatter. One hundred volunteer health care providers were assigned to one of five study eyewear groups and g iven a protective eyewear device to use for 2 weeks in an urban teachi ng referral center. Questionnaires were used to survey eyewear habits and other variables before the study. The devices were determined to b e 88% effective overall, and there was no statistically significant di fference between groups. The incidence of subclinical splatter was 50% . Even though disposable eyewear devices providing full frontal and la teral eye coverage are effective in preventing eyesplatter, the incide nce of eyesplatter among health care providers working in nonsurgical areas is more common than previously assumed because of the lack of re cognition of splatter (subclinical splatter) by the workers.